During the evening of St. Patrick’s Day, the Maryland State Senate passed on third reading (i.e., a floor vote) H.B. 732, which would impose a new Digital Advertising Gross Revenues Tax and H.B. 932, which would expand Maryland’s sales tax to digital products, including streaming. H.B. 732 passed by a vote of 29-16, and
Digital Economy
Legal Alert: New York Senate introduces digital advertising tax bill
On March 13, 2020, New York State Senator and Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris (Democrat) introduced New York S.8056, which would establish a tax on a digital advertiser’s annual gross revenues derived from digital advertisements in the state.
New York’s proposed digital advertising tax is very similar to the tax proposed in Maryland.…
Maryland Senate adds additional amendments to digital advertising tax bill
Earlier today, the Maryland Senate considered Senate Bill 2, which would impose a new tax on digital advertising services. The Senate retained the Budget and Taxation Committee amendments that revise the sourcing provisions. However, the amendments provide authority to the Maryland Comptroller of the Treasury to determine when gross revenues are derived from digital…
Legal Alert: Maryland’s digital advertising tax bill passes out of committee with amendments
The Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee voted to pass out of committee Senate Bill 2, which would impose a new tax on digital advertising services. The committee amended the bill to include a new sourcing provision. Now, the Comptroller of the Treasury must determine when gross revenues are derived from digital advertising services…
Legal Alert: Maryland hearing on Digital Advertising Tax highlights problems, hints at amendments
On February 28, 2020, Maryland’s proposed Digital Advertising Tax was the subject of a hearing by the Maryland House of Delegates’ Ways and Means Committee. House Bill 695 would impose a tax on Maryland gross revenues from digital advertising services at a rate of up to a 10%. An archived video of the hearing is…
Webcast: 2020 – The year of digital taxation
In 2020, state and local tax practitioners have witnessed the emergence of a new trend: the proposed taxation of advertising services and data usage. In this Bottom Line webcast, Charles Capouet and Samantha Trencs discuss:
- the proposed Maryland tax on gross revenues from digital advertising services
- potential expansions of the Nebraska and South Dakota
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South Dakota House of Representatives’ Taxation Committee Strikes Advertising Tax Provision from HB 1284
During a hearing held on February 20, 2020, the South Dakota House of Representatives’ Taxation Committee approved an amendment to House Bill 1284, striking the proposed elimination of the sales tax exemption for advertising services. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Finck (Republican), introduced the amendment himself. He clarified that he did not intend to tax…
Florida Bill to Tax Car Sharing Moves Forward
Florida’s proposed tax on peer-to-peer car sharing companies, H.B. 377, cleared its first hurdle and passed the state House Ways and Means Committee on February 11. The bill would require car-sharing companies to collect a 6% sales tax on vehicle leases made through their platforms. Also, under the proposed bill, leases made through the…
South Dakota Advertising Tax Hearing Scheduled – February 20, 2020 at 7:45 a.m. Central
On February 6, 2020, South Dakota Representative Finck introduced House Bill 1284, which would repeal the sales tax exemption for sales of advertising services. The South Dakota sales tax broadly applies to sales of services, unless specifically exempt. The bill has since been referred to the House of Representatives’ Taxation Committee. On Thursday, February…
West Virginia Proposes Data Mining Service Tax
On February 11th, West Virginia Delegate Cody Thompson (Democrat) introduced House Bill 4898, which would impose a general data mining service tax. The bill would require “commercial data operators” generating revenue from the use, collection, processing, sale, or sharing of West Virginians’ user data to pay the tax at the rate of one cent…



